This blog is a little effort to make biotechnology concepts simplified to all the students in the degree classes from all the universities.I took the initiative to make concise and well formulated notes supported with the diagrams.I have struggled a lot in making notes and searching for the concepts by digging library books and surfing various sites. All i want is to create one place where you can look up to biotechnology notes and rely upon them as i have put up a lot of effort on them.

Thursday, 14 August 2014

Phagocytosis

Phagocyosis is the process of engulfment and
digestion of microorganisms performed by macrophages & microphages.

The
macrophages:

These cells originate from bone marrow promonocytes;
after circulating in blood for few hours they migrate to tissues and constitute
the mononuclear phagocyte system. They
have been given specific names in accordance with their residing tissues; in
lungs ; alveolar macrophages, in liver ;
kupffer cells, microglial cells in brain, mesangial cells in kidney and in bone
as osteoclasts.

Macrophages are capable of ingesting and digesting
exogeneous antigens such a s whole microorganisms and insoluble particles and
endogeneous matter such as injured or dead cells. Macrophages act by process of
chemotaxis in which they get attract
towards variety of substances. In the next step antigen adheres to the cell
membrane of macrophage. Adherence induces the protrusions called Pseudopodia to
extend around the attached antigen. Fusion of pseudopodia encloses the antigen
with in membrane bound structure called Phagosome which then enters the
phagocytic processing pathway. Here Phagosome fuses with the lysosome and makes
phagolyosome. Lysome has hydrolytic enzymes which digest the ingested material.
The digested contents are then released through the process of exocytosis.

It has been found that phagocytosis of antigen can
be enhances many times in the presence of specific antibody; so antibody functions
as opsonin; a molecule that binds to antigen and macrophage and enhance the
process of engulfment. This whole process whereby antigens are rendered more
susceptible to phagocytosis is called as opsonisation.

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About Me

Myself a researcher interested in the field of genomics and biotechnology. Apart from following my dreams i also like to engage myself in helping other newbies in the field of life sciences. This blog is just a beginning to help budding scientists; who can get full fledged notes on biotech concepts. i have tried to make concise, thoroughly explained and supported with diagrams wherever necessary.This blog helps you avoid surfing websites for the conceptual notes. I am open to the suggestions and improvements!!! Good luck and Happy learning!!!